Anybody ever fished this one? If so, what areas are good, what patterns, etc... Looking to fish it Saturday. Not beholden to that creek, but I have never fished it, and figured it might be just as good as others, with a fewer number of people. Any thoughts
TODD

Todd, Twentymile doesnt get alot of pressure, but dont expect to much in the size of the fish. You should catch a bunch if their in a good mood. The stream itself should start fishing @ the road but look for the fishing to get better the farther you get from the road.I have a friend who uses a Barbi bug and does well. This is just a pink green weenie,other wise stick to the usual stuff and you'll do fine.
No Hackle ><>

Todd--I've fished it a bunch (but then my Dad says I've had a marvelously misspent iife fishing, and "a bunch" could apply to most any stream in the Park.
Thanks to its remoteness at the edge of the Park and far from any major highway (or U. S. 441) Twentymile is one of the least pressured Park streams easily accessible by road. The fishing is just fine starting right at the parking area a short ways above the ranger station, and it's better on upstream. The fish, mostly 'bows, run smallish, and if it is like most other Park streams I've fished this year on the N. C. side, there seems to be an age class missing. expect to catch quite a few 5, 6, and 7 inch fish, maybe the odd one 10-11 inches, and not many in between. I think the drought of two summers ago resulted in a "lost generation," although I haven't seen anyone else comment to this effect here. I know that on Noland, Deep Creek, Hazel Creek, and Luftee that's been my experience (and I've fished all of them quite a bit this spring and summer).
Twentymile is a stream of rapid elevation change, which means lots of plunge pools, and it can be pretty rough in sections. Still, in my view it's a dandy, and the low pressure makes it even more appealing. Jim Casada

Sounds like it has a bit in common with Greenbriar up near the Ramsey cascades trailhead. Is that so? I LOVE that area; big boulders, clear water, plunge pools, and hungry fish! Jim, any patterns you find that did well? Also, this time of year, where would be the most likely place for the best fishing? Up high? If so how high?
TODD

Todd--No need to go high, and I personally would start fishing within a half mile of the ranger station. Pretty water, whereas once you get to the forks it gets pretty tight. As for patterns, I'd use something gaudy of a terrestrail ('hopper) with either a dropper such as a Prince nymph or inchworm imitation or a second dry fly of the sort my eyes can't see (i.e., an ant or jassid). I don't think pattern matters anywhere near as much as presentation, and to me that's true most of the time for most of the streams in the Smokies. Jim Casada

Jim and others,
Thanks for the info. I have never fished that stream, nor have I even been there, so going to 20mile will be a new stream altogether. Knowing what you all have told me I know to stay fairly low to get some good fishing. I wouldn't mind hiking up the trail a bit just to see what the stream looks like, even if it doesn't fish terribly well. Thanks for all the info, which is why I love this message board so much. You can use other people's experience to help you out, especially in new waters. Thanks.
TODD

Fished 20-mile today for about 5-6 hours. Nice little stream. Started just behind the ranger station and went up past the parking lot. Then I went up stream hitting areas here and there until I got to the bridge. Most fish I caught were little, and all were bows. Just too warm for the brookies right now I guess. All but one hit my nymph (BHPT and Hare's Ear) and one took my dry (para adams). Good day all in all, I even got to see a motorcyclist or 2....!
TODD

I have fished twenty mile many times. If you search it you can look back and see some of my posts on it. I have caught my largest bow in the park from there (11 3/4). The fishing is better early in the spring and late in the fall. I hooked a VERY large brown in the pool right above the bridge. I had to watch a monster brown rising just below the bridge since it was in NC and I didn't have my NC license at that time. The great thing about that little stream is the "lake runners". However I would suspect that most of the larger fish have simply returned back to the lake and cooler waters. You can have some really nice fish come up that creek and since it's small a 3 wt is perfect for some real rod benders. I have never seen another person fishing it in all the times I've been there. Also I have never fished above the bridge.